days event would consist of off-road, leaving just 44km
of sealed roads. It promised to be tough. The riders left
Tsagaan Survaga to take on a 30km grass plain that saw
the GS’s ride almost surf like across the terrain. Then fol-
lowed 100km of rocky desert plain as the GS Trophy made
its way to “Camel Head”, the events SP3.
The sand and rock trials course required teams to com-
pete together, it was a true test of teamwork and all came
through. From here the teams were required to ride a
long trail of deep, deep sand, something that caught out
many and was to provide greater testament to good team-
work. Many riders became bogged or lost their way, so
guidance and brute strength were called on. This maze-
like course made more taxing by the midday heat, now
well above 30C.
A high plateau soon followed, and the riders were pre-
sented with SP4, a tight, timed course that required a fine
level of balance and finesse. The more gun-ho riders
found this tough and drifted in and out of the course in-
curring penalties. It paled in significance as several rid-
ers fell on day two and required evacuation to hospital.
The 2018 GS Trophy was again demonstrating how tough
this event can be.
The end of the second day saw Team USA drop down
to sixth pace with 48 points while Korea took the lead on
77 points. In second sat South Africa, quietly making a
move. Third held by Germany.
After a night of recovery, the competitors were treated
to a leisurely liaison day for Day 3, no Special Tests and
a generous time allowance meant they could experience
and enjoy their surroundings. They rode along the Dun-
geene Canyon surrounded by 100 metre high cliffs and in
places only 5 metres apart. It was spectacular! One sec-
tion made for some tricky riding as a river crossing was
completely frozen; riding on ice a new experience for
many.
As the riders rode out onto the Yucca Plain for many it
became apparent just how sparse and remote Mongolia
is. They all queued for fuel in the village of Bayandalai
as the one attendant filled all the bikes; a little old lady
working from the only permanent building in the village.
Further on the day came to an end on the edge of the
Gobi Desert, surrounded by sand dunes and rocky out-
crops. The area beautifully lit by the late afternoon sun
as the competitors pitched their Marmot tents. A perfect
way to end such a perfect day, in a country that has so
much to offer and experience.
“Today was awesome, it was great to watch the desert,
to see the dunes, and we had good trails today, we had
fun,” grinned Team Latin America’s, Francisco Lopez.
Jamie Jones, of Team Canada echoed the sentiments,
“Out of 10, I’d have to rate this experience as a 12 or 13!”
“Certainly, I’ve never done anything like this before,
for me it´s awesome to come here to Mongolia, it’s really
cool to see the terrain and the country, it’s amazing the
expanse, how it keeps going and going.
“In Canada we have space, but we don’t have the trails
that just lead off the road everywhere, unmarked and
gravel, it´s really different. And when we find these Mon-
golians living out in the wilderness I’m asking myself what
are they doing here – it’s taken us three and a half hours to
ride out this far. It’s just normal for them.”
High winds swept across the desert overnight meaning
a restless sleep for many as poorly erected tents struggled
in the conditions. Many competitors were required to fix
what they should’ve done correctly in the first place.
This being the Gobi Desert meant that Day 4 was going
to be tough, with almost 283km of sand, everyone was ap-
prehensive of what was to come.
The scenery distracted from the conditions yet many
still found they were struggling with the deep sand wash-
es. Momentum was key, easier said than done. As if the
sand wasn’t tough enough, the next SP was presented; a
section where the bikes would need to tow each other,
TRAVERSE 26